{{Short description|American basketball player (born 2006)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox basketball biography | name = Kennedy Smith | image = | caption = | alt = | number = 11 | team = USC Trojans | position = Guard | league = Big Ten Conference | birth_date = {{birth date and age|2006|1|21|mf=y}} | birth_place = Fullerton, California, U.S. | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 1 | weight_lb = | high_school = Etiwanda (Rancho Cucamonga, California) | college = USC (2024–present) | highlights = * Big Ten All-Defensive Team (2026) * Big Ten All-Freshman Team (2025) * McDonald's All-American (2024) * Nike Hoop Summit (2024) * Jordan Brand Classic MVP (2024) | medal_templates = {{MedalSport|Women's basketball}} {{MedalCountry|the {{bkw|USA}}}} {{MedalCompetition|FIBA AmeriCup}} {{MedalGold|2025 Chile|}} {{MedalCompetition|FIBA Under-18 AmeriCup}} {{MedalGold|2024 Colombia|Team}} }} '''Kennedy Smith''' (born January 21, 2006) is an American college basketball player for the USC Trojans of the Big Ten Conference.
==High school career== Smith attended Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, California, where she was a three-time All-CIF selection. She helped Etiwanda win the 2023 Open Division State Championship and the 2022 Southern Section title, along with being a Naismith Award semifinalist and McDonald's All-American in 2024.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Kennedy Smith - Women's Basketball |url=https://usctrojans.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kennedy-smith/17642 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=USC Athletics |language=en}}</ref> Smith averaged 20.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.8 blocks as a senior, winning the 2024 Open Division State Championship game and was named the 2023-24 Gatorade California Girls Basketball Player of the Year.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Sondheimer |first=Eric |date=2024-03-10 |title=Girls' basketball roundup: Etiwanda dominates to win state Open Division title again |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/story/2024-03-09/cif-state-girls-basketball-championship-etiwanda-mitty |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20251108164501/https://www.latimes.com/sports/highschool/story/2024-03-09/cif-state-girls-basketball-championship-etiwanda-mitty |archive-date=2025-11-08 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=March 14, 2024 |title=ETIWANDA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT-ATHLETE NAMED GATORADE CALIFORNIA GIRLS BASKETBALL PLAYER OF THE YEAR |url=https://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com/poy/assets/writable/84669/2024_GK_KSmith.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250320114621/https://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com/poy/assets/writable/84669/2024_GK_KSmith.pdf |archive-date=20 March 2025 |access-date=November 8, 2025 |website=playeroftheyear.gatorade.com}}</ref> As the nation's No. 6 recruit in the class of 2024, she committed to play college basketball at USC.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2024 SportsCenter NEXT 100 - ESPN |url=http://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/rankings/scnext100girls/_/class/2024 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20251108170509/https://www.espn.com/high-school/girls-basketball/recruiting/rankings/scnext100girls/_/class/2024 |archive-date=2025-11-08 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=ESPN}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=James |first=Donovan |date=2023-11-21 |title=USC women’s basketball is setting a recruiting standard USC football should aspire to |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-women-basketball-setting-recruiting-201512215.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20251108170936/https://sports.yahoo.com/usc-women-basketball-setting-recruiting-201512215.html |archive-date=2025-11-08 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=Yahoo Sports |language=en-US}}</ref>
==College career== During the 2024–25 season, in her freshman year, she appeared and started in 28 games, and averaged 9.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game, earning Big Ten All-Freshman honors and All-Big Ten Honorable Mention.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 4, 2025 |title=2024-25 ALL-BIG TEN WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAMS & HONORS |url=https://nextgen.bigten.org/api/media/file/759fcc30-90df-4b70-89b7-6941ce275cc7-2024-25_20WBB_20Postseason_20Honors.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251108160808/https://nextgen.bigten.org/api/media/file/759fcc30-90df-4b70-89b7-6941ce275cc7-2024-25_20WBB_20Postseason_20Honors.pdf |archive-date=November 8, 2025 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=nextgen.bigten.org }}</ref><ref name=":0" /> She led the team in steals with 2.2 per game even after missing seven games due to injury.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-23 |title=No. 3 USC loses Kennedy Smith indefinitely after starting guard has surgery |url=https://apnews.com/article/usc-kennedy-smith-injured-c650e62cd6c99a5e20759960d52bfa21 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=AP News |language=en}}</ref> Smith was also named to the regional all-tournament team, setting a career high in points with 19 against Kansas State.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2025 |title=Top-Seeded USC Women’s Basketball Upended By UConn In NCAA Elite Eight |url=https://usctrojans.com/news/2025/3/31/womens-basketball-top-seeded-usc-womens-basketball-upended-by-uconn-in-ncaa-elite-eight |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=USC Athletics |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Kartje |first=Ryan |date=2025-03-30 |title=Freshman duo of Kennedy Smith and Avery Howell lift USC into Elite Eight rematch with UConn |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/story/2025-03-29/usc-womens-basketball-kansas-state-sweet-16-ncaa-tournament |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20250330044812/https://www.latimes.com/sports/usc/story/2025-03-29/usc-womens-basketball-kansas-state-sweet-16-ncaa-tournament |archive-date=30 Mar 2025 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>
== National team career == On May 18, 2024, Smith was named to the United States under-18 national team for the 2024 FIBA Under-18 Women's AmeriCup.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 18, 2024 |title=USA Basketball Announces 2024 USA Women’s U18 National Team |url=https://www.usab.com/news/2024/05/usa-basketball-announces-2024-usa-womens-u18-national-team |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=USA Basketball |language=en}}</ref> During the tournament she averaged 9.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in six games.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kennedy Smith |url=https://www.usab.com/players/kennedy-smith |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=USA Basketball |language=en}}</ref> She helped the United States win a gold medal and had 18 points, three rebounds, and three assists in the final against Canada.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Laflin |first=Shane |date=2024-07-10 |title=Girls' basketball recruiting watch: The U17 and U18 Team USA summer rosters |url=https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/40525951/girls-basketball-recruiting-looking-u17-u18-team-usa-summer-rosters |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20251108042453/https://www.espn.com/womens-college-basketball/story/_/id/40525951/girls-basketball-recruiting-looking-u17-u18-team-usa-summer-rosters |archive-date=2025-11-08 |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=ESPN |language=en}}</ref>
On June 20, 2025, she was named to team USA's roster for the 2025 FIBA Women's AmeriCup.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Pappas |first=Cory |date=2025-06-20 |title=USC Trojans' Kennedy Smith Selected By USA Basketball For FIBA AmeriCup |url=https://www.si.com/college/usc/trojan-news/usc-trojans-kennedy-smith-selected-usa-basketball-fiba-americup-schedule-pool-chile-juju-watkins |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=Sports Illustrated |language=en-US}}</ref> During the tournament she averaged 4.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.0 steals and 0.9 blocks per game and won a gold medal.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 7, 2025 |title=USC’s Kennedy Smith Wins Gold With Team USA At FIBA AmeriCup |url=https://usctrojans.com/news/2025/7/7/womens-basketball-uscs-kennedy-smith-wins-gold-with-team-usa-at-fiba-americup |access-date=2025-11-08 |website=USC Athletics |language=en}}</ref>
==Career statistics== {{WNBA player statistics legend}}
===College=== {{WNBA player statistics start}} |- |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2024–25 | style="text-align:left;"| USC | 28 || 28 || 29.1 || 41.2 || 30.3 || 68.5|| 4.3 || 2.0 || 2.2 || 0.7 || 1.9 || 9.5 |- class="sortbottom" |style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|[https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/kennedy-smith-2.html Career] |28||28||29.1||41.2||30.3||68.5||4.3||2.0||2.2||0.7||1.9||9.5 |- class="sortbottom" {{S-end}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *[https://usctrojans.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/kennedy-smith/17642 USC Trojans bio] *[https://www.usab.com/players/kennedy-smith USA Basketball bio] *{{FIBA|new_id=320127|name=Kennedy Smith}}
{{Jordan Brand Classic Girls Game MVP}} {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Smith, Kennedy}} Category:2006 births Category:Living people Category:American women's basketball players Category:Basketball players from California Category:21st-century American sportswomen Category:Sportspeople from Rancho Cucamonga, California Category:USC Trojans women's basketball players Category:McDonald's High School All-Americans